Welcome to OO: Eschatology » The Bridegroom delaying his coming

Re: The Bridegroom delaying his coming [message #11482 is a reply to message #11481]

Sun, 25 January 2015 18:04

william
Messages: 1451
Registered: January 2006

Senior Member
Administrator

Hi Gary,

You said:

Quote:

One example is we see the disciples walking with Jesus when He was on the earth and then we see what took place after He ascended to heaven. What we don't see is what went on during their day to day lives and how they dealt with everyday common things. So I think every church to some degree tries to fill in the gaps and explain what we need to do today, or what the scriptures mean to say.

I agree. The problem is the filling-in-the-gaps part!

Given the tendency of man to want to control things I don't think it should be a surprise when the church starts to do the same thing. People in authority love it when folks jump when they say jump... again, I guess this is just that desire for control.

Now what I'm about to say is NOT intended to be taken as William's Statement-of-Faith-on-the-State-of-Affairs-for-Former-or-Pre sent-Faith-Assembly-People.

I'm just thinking out loud here and the example I'm using is one that most of us are familiar with... that being the huge emphasis on the preparation for the end-time-move of God in this generation, i.e. the Gideon's Army boot camp (that never ends!)

Like you said Gary, the gaps that needed to be filled in --in our case at least-- were filled in with 24/7 preparation. This, in some cases, left other kinds of gaps in our own lives... I mean-- who prepares themselves for the everyday mundane routine of 'the daily grind' when there is so much heavenly warfare that must be accomplished in order to prepare the bride(us) for the bridegroom's return? For instance, why bother with education for a good job when we SHOULD be getting ready for the SECOND COMING OF JESUS!?

Now please, don't get me wrong --I AM THANKFUL FOR THE BOOT CAMP and have NO REGRETS but I do think a more rounded preparation for other aspects of life might have been proper... we are, after all, seeking to fill in the gaps you mentioned!

The disciples in the NT were kind of forced into what comes across as extreme Christian living (unusual times calls for unusual measures!) by the persecution they were enduring.

We almost had to manufacture our own persecution to justify our boot camp existence! (Don't take that statement too far because I know that in many cases just living the Christian life will invite persecution, but let's face it, we haven't been forced out of our homes under the threat of martyrdom, like the NT Christians... yet. <grin>)

Think about the first coming of Jesus... as far as I can tell not one of those who were first chosen were doing anything along the lines of boot-camp training. They were just living their lives and suddenly they were selected for their mission. After preparing them extensively for about 3 years they were sent forth with one specific task of spreading the Gospel. This task was accomplished by the persecution that providentially invaded their normal lives. Who knows if the Gospel would have ever spread as effectively as it did without that persecution!

But it would have... eventually... because Jesus told them to spread the good news and if we want to obey our Lord then we at some point will get around to doing that particular task which, btw, was the only specific task given to the Church.

Yes, it is important to teach those new converts about holy living (not as defined by those gap-fillers but by example and by teaching them the importance of yielding to the Holy Spirit.)

I've rambled on so much that I've forgotten what point I was trying to make!

I guess I'd like to say that I'm not advocating apathy as a replacement for the boot-camp mentality but I am saying that perhaps a little less fervency in some aspects of the waiting-on-the-mountain-for-Jesus'-return-while-we-sharpen-o ur-swords, might be in order.

This may allow us the opportunity for somewhat of a more natural carrying out of our purpose in this limited span of years that we call 'life'. That purpose, of course, is the spreading of the good-news as we go about the less-than-sensational daily grind!

Blessings,
William

I want to believe!

Report message to a moderator